Pietism

American  

[pahy-i-tiz-uhm] / ˈpaɪ ɪˌtɪz əm /

noun

1. a movement, originating in the Lutheran Church in Germany in the 17th century, that stressed personal piety over religious formality and orthodoxy.

2. the principles and practices of the Pietists.

3. (lowercase) intensity of religious devotion or feeling.

4. (lowercase) exaggeration or affectation of piety.

   Synonyms:

   sanctimony

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pietism ¹ British  

/ ˈpaɪɪˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. a less common word for piety

2. excessive, exaggerated, or affected piety or saintliness

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Pietism ² British  

/ ˈpaɪɪˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. history a reform movement in the German Lutheran Churches during the 17th and 18th centuries that strove to renew the devotional ideal

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Other Word Forms

• Pietist noun
• pietist noun
• pietistic adjective
• pietistical adjective
• pietistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of Pietism

1690–1700; < German Pietismus < Latin piet ( ās ) piety + German -ismus -ism